Pablo Sandoval was visibly giddy as he talked about getting the Giants a win with his speed.

No need to clean your cheaters. You read that right.

Sandoval has lost 22 pounds in the past six weeks. When asked if two months ago he could have beaten Marlins first baseman Logan Morrison to the bag for the infield hit that keyed Saturday night's 6-4 victory against the Marlins Sandoval shouted the answer:

"No!"

Sandoval's weight has been a constant struggle and a detriment to himself and the Giants. Earlier this season he was heavier than ever and it seemed plausible that this gifted ballplayer could eat himself out of the game.

He found salvation in his oldest brother Luis a 36-year-old recent graduate of a Miami culinary school. Sandoval said his brother is following him around the circuit cooking all his meals - tasty but healthy. More important Sandoval will stick close to Luis during the offseason which always tends to be the Panda's downfall.

Sandoval will be a free agent after 2014. He needs to help the Giants by being thinner but he also needs to help himself in his walk year.

"It's going to be important for me if I come to camp in the same shape as I did in 2011" Sandoval said. "I'm going to keep working hard for next season. It's important for me and my teammates to be better and do a lot of things to win games out there."

Sandoval's fourth-inning hustle created one run and paved the way for three more in the Giants' third consecutive win.

With two outs Brandon Belt at third base and Buster Posey at second in a scoreless game Sandoval hit a routine grounder to Morrison who was playing fairly deep. Morrison decided to outrun Sandoval to the bag which would have meant an easy out two months ago. But not now.

Sandoval won the race when he dived headfirst ahead of Morrison's feet-first slide. Belt scored and the inning stayed alive. Starter Henderson Alvarez balked in a run and Gregor Blanco added a two-run triple.